Ticket stacking device



Sept. 30, 1941". K. s. HAYwoop I TICKET STACKING DEVICE V Filed June 2'9, 1959 BY.,I

ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 30, 1941 TICKET STACKING DEVICE Kenneth Spanogle Haywood, Oak Park, Ill., as-

signor to American Telephone and Telegraph Company, a corporation of New York Application June 29, 1939, Serial No. 281,997

(c1. soz- 2) 3 Claims.

i. This invention relates to ticket stacking devices which are more particularly adapted for use in connection with pneumatic ticket distributing systems.

l It is vcommon practice in pneumatic tube systems to forward tickets from asending point to a receiving point. These systems have been used in connection with telephone service and especially for toll services. Record of the elapsed timeof a call and other information is made upon the ticket by an operator, and the ticket is then dispatched through `a pneumatic tube system and through a terminating roller valve thereof from which it is dropped upon a receiving tray, shelf or the like. The tickets when thus received liein` disordered and scattered formation, and it is necessary that they be gathered and properly stacked by hand before disposition of the tickets is made. This work involves considerable time and effort on the part of the operator.

It is an object of this invention to overcome the above mentioned undesirable features by providing a device which will receive and automatically stack the tickets as theyarrive at the receiving end of the pneumatic tube system.

Another object is to effect a savings in time and simplify the operator's work.

Theseand further objects will be apparent from the following description, when considered in `connection with the accompanying drawing in which certain embodiments of the invention are illustrated. p

Referring to the drawing,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of the device in which the tickets are adapted to be received and stacked.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device showing it mounted upon a support and in attached position to a pneumatic tube system to receive tickets as they are dropped from the roller valves of the system.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View showing the roller valve and associated chute at the receiving end of a pneumatic tube system beneath which a Fig. 8 is a perspective view of another modication of the invention. l

In the drawing, the receiving end of the pneumatic tube system is shown as supported upon a base 5. This base is positioned above a shelf 6 on which the receiving receptacle is mounted. The pneumatic tube system may be of the well known type, and includes the usual roller receiving valves l which discharge the tickets 8 (Fig. 5) into a depositing receptacle 9.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, this receptacle is shown ashaving a chute portion l0 which is substantially rectangular in cross-section and is ope-n at its top. The width oi this chute is substantially equal to the width of the ticket. This top portion may be somewhat flared and is attached to the base 5 of the pneumatic tube system in any suitable manner. The chute I0 is provided'with parallel side walls Il which extend downwardly, and also form` parallel side walls l2 for the portion of the depositing receptacle between which the tickets are stacked. The wall I3' of the chute extendsl downwardly from the top of the chute to a point just below the junction of the beveled top edges of the side walls I2 with the corners of the chute. A cutaway portion M as more clearly indicated in Fig. 1, is provided on the rear side of the ticket compartment, and a space between the top of this portion and the bottom of the wall I3 is suiicient to permit the insertion of fingers to remove the stacked tickets from the rear side of the compartment. The portion i4 is connected to alike portion |45 and these formA an angular abutment against which the tickets lie .in stacked formation as they are received from the discharge rollers l. The tickets may be withdrawn from the other or front side of the compartment by the insertion of the fingers in the open front of the chute.

In Figs. 3 and 4, the pneumatic system is shown as having a discharge tube Il extending below the supporting base 5, and the ticket receiving receptacle 9 is carried on a shelf 6 directly below the discharge tube Il. The receptacle is so arranged with respect to the tube that tickets discharged fall directly into the receptacle in properly stacked order. In Figs. 3 and 4 the side walls I8 of the receptacle are lpositioned on a block of suitable material having an inclined surface upon which the tickets lie in stacked position as they fall. The width between the inner sides of the Walls is substantially the width of the tickets so as to prevent their lateral displacement. A rear view of the receptacle is shown in Fig. 3 and the stacked tickets may be removed from this side of the receptacle by the insertion of the fingers between the Walls I8 and through the groove 9. The tickets may be removed from the opposite side of the receptacler (Fig. 4) by the insertion of the fingers in the space 20 between the walls I8.

The modication of the invention shown in Figs. 6 and 7 illustrates the discharge tube 2| as being fastened to and extending upwardly through the supporting base 5 and into the pneumatic system. rlhe ticket receiving receptacle .9 is integral with the chute and accessmay be had through the space above the partition 23, as indicated by full lines in Fig. '7.

The modication shown in Fig. 8 is somewhat similar to that disclosed in Figs. 6 and 7'. In Fig. 8 the upper part of thechute portion 24 may be attached to the pneumatic tube system similarly to that shown in Figs. 6 and 7 or it may be ared and attached to the bottom of the base 5 to cover the opening thereon beneath the roller valves l. In Fig. 8 the angular abutment against ,s which the tickets rest, and which is formed by the walls 25 is substantially V-shaped in cross-section and symmetrically arranged. The side walls 26 which interconnect the abutment with the chute 24 similarly to like walls in other of the modifications is of a Width substantially that of the tickets. The width of the depositing portion is likewise substantially the same width as that of the tickets. These dimensions not alone facilitate the proper passage of the tickets, but also cause them to assume a nested or stacked formation as they are dropped individually from the pneumatic system. 'I'he openings above the tops of the walls 25 on each side of the abutment provide suiicient space for the insertion of the fingers to withdraw the stacked tickets.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the herein described and delineated invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art Without further description. It will be understood ythat various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without' departing from the spirit or sacrificing` any `of the advantages of the invention as defined' in the appended claims.

Whatis `claimed is:

l 1 l. vIn a pneumatic distributing system, a discharge device for tickets including a chute of substantially rectangular cross-Section of such stantially equal to the width of the ticket and the other dimension is large enough to freely pass the ticket without permitting it to turn over, and a depositing receptacle associated with the chute having oppositely and symmetrically arranged walls forming an angle in which tickets as they pass through the chute may come to rest in nested formation, said receptacle having closed side walls connected to the chute and having a width substantially equal to that of the tickets to prevent them from being displaced laterally.

2. In a pneumatic distributing system, a discharge device including a chute for tickets having a bentover end, said chute being of substantially rectangular cross-section of such size that one dimension of the rectangle is substantially equal Vto the width of the ticket and the other dimension is large enough to freely pass the ticket with its extended bent-over end without permitting the ticket to turn over, and a depositing receptacle associated with the chute having oppositely and symmetrically arranged walls of V-shaped cross section forming. an angle in which tickets as they pass through the chute may come to rest in stacked formation with their bent-over Aends lying adjacent each other, said receptacle having closed side walls connected to the chute and beingV of a width `substantially equal to that of the tickets to prevent them from being displaced laterally and open portions between said walls to permit the `stacked tickets to be removed by hand. i

3. In a pneumatic tube system for dispatching tickets from a sending point to a receiving point, said tickets having a bent-over end to facilitate their dispatch through the'tube, a chute of sub-A stantially rectangular cross-section of such size that one dimension of the rectangle is substantially equal to the width of the ticket and the other dimension is large enough to freely pass the ticket without permitting it to turn over,

and a depositing receptacle connected with the chute having oppositely and symmetrically arf ranged walls of V-shaped cross-section forming KENNETH s. HAYWOOD. 

